Over the Bridge

Things are more difficult than they seem.

 

 

OVER THE BRIDGE

 

There were no historical or commemorative plaques on any buildings in the tiny   dilapidated old town. Windowless, and many empty of tenants, the ancient houses stood as a reminder of a once thriving community. There were two sets of inhabitants: one was that descended from the original dwellers, the other was of new arrivals who liked the location of the town and were willing to spend time and money on restoring some of it to its previous glory. It was not an easy place to walk around, due to its being constructed on the side of a mountain. None of the streets were flat, everything was up hill and down. The inhabitants looked like mountain goats as they hopped, jumped and skipped from one end of the town to the other.

 

Once upon a time, before anyone could remember, there had been a river that somehow or other had dried up and had disappeared. There were two enormous rocks, one either side of the town, creating a shallow valley where the river had once run. The town, then, had two parts, and the authorities agreed to build a bridge from one rock to the other over the dried up riverbed, so that those who lived there would be able to cross from one side to the other. A pedestrian bridge was duly constructed and inaugurated. One of the problems was that on the side of the original town, the space needed for building the bridge had meant removing a great deal of an ancient pavement. 

 

In modern times, slopes were constructed to enable cars to be driven down one side then cross the riverbed and go up another slope on the opposite side. Steps were also made for the pedestrians to walk down into the riverbed. This meant that people from other villages could get in somehow.

 

Cade and Arleen had lived in a nearby town for ten years and kept as far away as possible from the ancient one. Rumours of ghosts, and unexplained noises of things falling, people talking, and singing, and animal noises, abounded.  Cade spent a great deal of time travelling, and the old place was of no interest to him. Arleen, on the other hand, was full of curiosity and even wondered why it had been abandoned for so long.

 

One day she walked up to the old river bed and walked along the edge. She was bored and was not in any hurry. Looking down, she saw people walking among the trees in the river bed. Although she had begun her walk on a wide and comfortable footpath, she noticed as she got nearer to the bridge that it got narrower and narrower. She came to some steps down, so she joined the people walking below and the odd car going by. She had made a grave mistake. How was she supposed to cross the bridge from down there? How could she get out of the trap she had put herself in? The old town hung on the mountain side with only the pedestrian bridge as the entrance and exit for a person on foot. Arleen sat down some distance from the base of the bridge and sighed. What to do?

Her feet ached because she wasn’t wearing the appropriate shoes. She took them off and rubbed her feet and enjoyed the cool air coming from the under the bridge on her soles. Leaning against the stonework, Arleen relaxed.

 

She heard the sound of an engine, opened her eyes and saw a quad coming close up to her. A rather large lady dressed in thin purple velvet with a pink collar and cuffs, looked down at her and said, “Want a lift?”

Arleen stood up and putting her shoes back on, said, “Yes, please. My name is Arleen, and yours?”

“Malvina. I’m here to help you get across. Hop on.” Arleen hopped onto the seat behind Malvina and felt decidedly nauseous as the quad was started and set off. Malvina was totally unaware of anything or anybody, the only thing in her life was to get to the bridge. She didn’t drive on the road but on the uneven terrain, driving as if someone was after her, and had difficulty in keeping it upright. The vehicle was so unsteady that several times Arleen felt that she, Malvina, and the quad were on the point of going over. Arleen made no attempt to ask Malvina to slow down, the machine made so much noise it was impossible to maintain a conversation.

 

Arleen was in luck, the quad began to go slower and she saw the reason why. There was a petrol station right ahead to help those travelling to the other side to fill up before leaving the river bed further on. The petrol station was, in fact, within walking distance from the bridge.

“I’m getting it filled up. There’s a shop, a café with toilets, if you need it,” Malvina said, pointing it out to Arleen.

“I think I’ll wash my hands, if that’s all right with you,” Arleen said in reply, getting down from the quad.

 

Malvina was walking over to the pumps. Arleen ran into the toilets, washed her face and hands, redid her makeup, and combed her hair. Feeling more civilized, she walked into the café. Malvina was nowhere to be seen. The quad was still outside in the forecourt. Arleen had made up her mind she was not going to get back on the quad.

How to avoid Malvina? Arleen ordered a light snack and a cup of coffee.

 

Malvina came into view, and Arleen stood up. The man behind the counter asked her, “Have you got a problem?”

“Yes, I have. I arrived on that quad over there, with a ginger-haired woman in purple velvet who was driving. I really don’t want to go any further with her on that vehicle.”

The man said, “Don’t worry, come here and hide. Behind the bar there’s a cupboard without a door, only a curtain. It comes in handy.”

Arleen took her plate and cup to the bar where the man washed it, and then showed her where to hide. Arleen was small enough to work her way inside the space and draw the curtain across. After a few minutes she heard the door open and Malvina’s voice, “Have you seen a blonde woman, about thirty years old?”

The barman said, “Can you see any women in here? I can’t. This is a quiet time of day. People come earlier or later, not precisely at this time.”

“She must have got herself another lift, thank you.”

Arleen, sitting in the cupboard, heard Malvina’s footsteps and the door open and close. There was a pause and the curtain was pulled open and the man said, “She and the quad have gone. It’s safe for you to come out and continue on your way.”

Arleen crawled out, “Thank you so much, you can’t imagine what the trip on the river bed was like, with the vehicle swaying from side to side.”

“Yes, I can. Many people have told me the same story. By the way, my name’s Vance, and you?”

“I’m Arleen, and I’m trying to get inside the ancient town from down here. On the other side, the footpath goes to practically nothing, and I couldn’t see how to get up to the crossing into the old part. Then Malvina appeared, offered me a lift, and here I am.”

“You don’t want to go there. It’s said to be full of bad things, and no one ever comes away without one bad experience. Just be careful that’s all. I’m not allowed to tell you or anyone else,” Vance told her.

“What have you got to do with the bridge and the ancient town?” asked a perturbed Arleen.

“I’m unable to tell you that either. But, if you do get to the bridge and cross it, don’t pay attention to anything you see or hear. Understand?”

“Yes, I understand,” Arleen said, “Goodbye, and thank you.”

 

Vance and Arleen walked out of the café and he showed her the old steps, almost hidden with the vegetation, to take to get up to the bridge. Slowly but carefully Arleen climbed the steps, pushing plants to one side. When she was finally at the top and could see how to get into the walkway she felt a huge surge of relief.  She stood against the parapet on the bridge and, looking down, she saw Malvina driving around like a headless chicken, no doubt still looking for her or another victim.

 

Cade got back home very tired after a day of travelling, to see a note from Arleen on the fridge, informing him of her intention to cross the river bed on the bridge to get inside the ancient town.

The sun hadn’t started to set when he set out to find Arleen. He was angry with her because she knew how he felt about the ancient town. All his life he had heard from his grandparents and parents all sorts of strange tales. How the town had a curse on it, or that it had been abandoned for one reason or another. Only mentioning the place gave him the creeps. Now Arleen, the love of his life, had gone out of her way to turn a deaf ear to his words of advice. How many times had he said to her that he wasn’t interested in going there, but she persisted in talking about visiting. She didn’t understand there are some things that have to remain secret.

 

Cade drove fast and firmly. He saw Malvina on her quad but paid her no attention. When he came to the petrol station he stopped and got out to refill the car. He went into the café for a drink and to wash his hands.

He saw the bar man and asked him, “Have you seen this woman?” Taking a photo of Arleen from his pocket, Cade continued, “This is my wife and she left me a note telling me she was on her way to the bridge and would try to get into the ancient town.”

The barman stared at the photo of Arleen and said, “She was here a short while ago. She was hiding from a ginger haired woman in a purple velvet suit riding a quad. I hid her, and when the woman had gone, showed her where to go in order to get up to the bridge.”

“I saw such a woman as you have described as I was coming here. I must say she made me nervy. Thank you very much. I’d better be on my way. I’d like to find her before it gets dark. Goodbye.”

 

Cade got back into his car and drove as fast as was reasonable to the base of the bridge, and then he got off the road, parked his car in safe place, and began walking towards the bridge itself. As he walked, he rang Arleen on his mobile.

She answered him after a while, “Cade, where are you?”

“Where am I? I’m below the bridge. Where are you?”

Arleen answered, “It’s very weird, here. Nobody is allowed inside the ancient town. The new residents have made it a rule that, until the town is all fixed up as it should be, no one is permitted to enter. What do you make of it?”

“Just stay where you are. By the way, where are you?” Cade asked.

“If you look up, you’ll see me,” Arleen said laughing.

Cade raised his head and saw Arleen looking down at him. His heart leapt with happiness after having felt such a strong sense of danger. He waited for her to come back down, and then he grabbed her by her arm and escorted her straight to the car. Arleen, meanwhile, said nothing. They got into the car and began the drive home.

 

The sun had almost set by the time they got home, where, before dinner, Cade sat staring at Arleen and said, “What on earth got into your head to try and get into the ancient town after all I’ve told you about it?”

“I was bored and wanted to take a walk, that’s all. I have to say, it’s been a weird afternoon.”

Cade went over to a bookshelf and took down a book, “Here take a look at this, it’s my father’s,” he said, holding out the book.

 

Arleen opened it and began leafing through it, and saw there were strange and very ancient drawings from the middle ages. The book mentioned visions seen by others of a woman with a resemblance to Malvina. “Cade, it says here that there is a spirit called Malvina, and that she attempts to kill women trying to enter the ancient town. Her spirit is angry because her lover didn’t marry her, and was forbidden to enter the town on the day of her wedding, because the bridegroom was marrying a different girl. Now she wreaks vengeance on any female who makes an effort to enter.”

Arleen continued turning pages, “Look, this is Vance, the man who saved me. He is there to stop Malvina from getting her way and killing innocent women. Cade, I met these two this afternoon,” Arleen said, staring at her husband.

“Those are just two of the things you shouldn’t have come into contact with. I’m putting this house up for sale tomorrow. Till the sale comes through, we’ll rent a place in another town far away from evil, or go and live with my parents.”

“Why do you say ‘evil’? It’s not nice. But do you really think that these strange people exist?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t want to find out whether they do.”

Cade and Arleen sat down in front of the television and had their dinner. Both of them were with their own private thoughts about that afternoon’s events.

 

Vance closed up the petrol station for the night, Malvina parked the quad out of sight inside the closed garage. They said nothing till they got to their home, which was a very nice modern flat in an ultra smart building. The unusual pair entered their bedroom and removed their work attire, including Malvina’s ginger wig. Vance went into the shower and Malvina prepared dinner.

When Vance came out of the shower, Malvina went in. During dinner they hardly spoke a word. Once the clearing up was over and done with, they took a good look at Vance’s takings in the petrol station.

Malvina sat staring thoughtfully at her partner and said, “How much longer do we have to keep this charade up?”

“Till the old town is completely renovated and the ghosts and horrible noises and Malvina and Vance have been seen and accepted as true malevolent spirits, which should bring in the tourists once it’s finished. We can’t complain. This place was completely out of our reach till we were employed by the new property owners in the old town. They don’t want anyone to see it till it’s been totally renovated, and then we’ll only have to make the occasional appearance to keep the legend going.”

 

Cade’s father, Cosmo, had an excellent collection of ancient books, some of which were first editions. Cade and Arleen had gone to live with his parents after the incident with Malvina and Vance.

Normally, those books with their odd stories and fearsome, peculiar drawings would have held no interest for Arleen. After meeting Malvina and Vance, Arleen began studying the books. When she had told her father-in-law about her adventure on the quad, Cosmo had laughed and told her, “Those two often used to crop up near the ancient town to attract tourists. They weren’t the only ones, other characters you have seen in the books were to be seen too.”

“But it’s forbidden to enter the ancient town right now, so what are they doing in the riverbed?” Arleen asked.

“It’s probably some publicity stunt to keep the people’s attention on things that are happening without actually seeing them. A lot of the abandoned properties have been bought up by foreigners, as well as local people who are smartening them up.”

Arleen stared at her father-in-law, “How do you know all this?”

“Word gets out. Are you two still thinking of moving away?”

“Cade was quite frightened and didn’t think twice about not staying there. He just wanted out. So here we are,” Arleen explained.

“You never know when a real ghost or bad spirit might appear in that area of the old riverbed and the ancient town. That’s why we came here to live. Ghosts and other spirits are not generally associated with twelfth floor flats,” Cosmo said, as he and Arleen looked through the window at the distant landscape below them.